Back To Back
by Bitter-Sweet Teardrops
Summary: War has broken out, and Konoha's struggling to stay on top. Orochimaru's wreaking havoc, and nothing seems to be going right. Fighting for a future, Naruto and Hinata put everything on the line, because most of all, they are fighting for eachother.
1. Prolouge

Hello everyone!!

For those of you who read 'Reactions', I don't think I'll be updating that one, I really haven't had any ideas for it, so if you have any ideas which you want to add, please send me a pm, and I'll see what I can do. Currently, though, I've put it on 'complete' because if I don't get any ideas, it'll be considered as a one-shot.

However, I did have an idea for a new story (this one), which will hopefully be a multi-chapter one. If it does turn out to be a multi-chapter one, I have no idea when I will update it. I've got a lot going on at the moment. It's got my first battle scene in it, though it pales in comparison to some of the excellent writers out there, so don't expect it to be very good.

Please be bothered to put a review in, if your going to flame, please don't be too harsh.

Disclaimer: I, Bitter-Sweet Teardrops, hereby declare that the ownership rights of 'Naruto' now belong to me. Not. *sigh* I don't own this anime, I'm writing fanfiction for goodness sake.

Well, enough with my blabber, and hope you enjoy the story! 

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Back To Back

A thick crimson trail of blood dripped out of the corner of his mouth as he gasped for air and tried in vain to stand. His sunshine blonde hair was darkened by sweat and stained a slight orange by blood. Next to him, his companion was in no better condition. Her Kekkei Genkai was deactivated in an attempt to preserve as much chakra as possible. Her lavender eyes were clouded with exhaustion and her breathing was heavy. They both knew that they would not last much longer.

"Hinata-chan, we've got to finish this soon." the male of the pair rasped as he made a face and spat out a mouthful of blood. "The enemy is just too strong, I don't know if we can stand another direct attack like that. My kage bunshin are out there somewhere, trying to be as much help as they can, but I can feel them getting dispelled. I can only use my Double Fuuton: Rasenshuriken once again, and I can probably pull off a few more Hirashins before the only thing I can do is try to keep myself alive. Of course, I can call on Kyuubi, but that's far too risky for a situation like this."

She nodded in agreement. "I can't do Kaiten anymore. It's too much of a strain. I'm already really low on chakra, I'm afraid that I won't be much help in killing this enemy. I can probably do my chakra net, but I'm not sure if I can sustain it long enough and I don't think that I can constrict it to its fullest extent. I can try, and I act as a distraction, but that's about it." She looked at the enemy. It was just standing there, not making any moves, seemingly waiting for them to get up, so it could beat them down to the ground. Again.

Naruto sighed. Just when they thought that Konoha had some chance of winning the war, this monster showed up, and totally destroyed their forces. It had appeared out of no where, barging in, and destroying every shinobi who got in its way. Iwa's forces had suddenly yelled and then retreated, leaving the unexpectedly disengaged Konoha ninja surprised and unaware until it was too late to avoid their deaths. There were only a few more ninja left standing on the battlefield, but they were medic nins. He presumed that Iwa's forces had retreated, and were waiting patiently for everyone on the battlefield to fall, and then they would enter the village, and take over. A simple, effective, but ruthless plan.

*****

The Leader of Iwa's forces smirked as he saw the shinobi and kunoichi who foolishly tried to destroy his beast fall and try, again, to rise. With his enhanced eyesight, he could see the lines of exhaustion and desperation that were beginning to line their faces, and he didn't need enhanced sight to see the abuse their bodies were taking. He laughed. His creation was indestructible. No weak jutsu like a few kage bunshins would be able to get rid of it, though the boy must have a huge amount of chakra to be able to make so many. Apparently, the fast blonde was the Kyuubi jinchuuriki which everyone seemed to be talking about, but he didn't seem to be what the rumours described him as. He eyed the village which was illuminated by the late-afternoon sun. It was almost time. Soon, his beast would finish the fools off, and then it would be time to take Konoha, once and for all. He turned to his general. "Prepare troops. We are going to take Konoha. Tell your men to be ready for the call." "Yessir." The Leader turned around again. _He_ will be pleased.

*****

With much difficulty, Naruto pushed himself to his feet, willing them to stay upright, as he staggered and almost fell down again. When he thought himself sufficiently steadied, he reached down and helped Hinata up. They both knew that this was their last chance. They would most likely be drained of energy, chakra and consciousness, and they wouldn't be any help to either side. "Alright, Hinata-chan, lets get into formation seven." This was their last resort. This formation used up almost everything they had, while having the greatest success rate. Hinata nodded. "Byakugan". She slid into her modified juuken-net stance, while Naruto began distributing his last few tri-pronged kunai around the creature. "Ready?" he called. She nodded. Swiftly, he mad a seal, and then disappeared in a flash of yellow light. The 'zing' of metal cutting through metal could be heard as a large gash appeared in the side of the creature as it futilely tried to follow the blondes movements. A few more gashes, all large and painful, appeared in the creatures' main body, as it shrieked in pain. The moment Naruto came to a stop, long sharp tendrils of chakra seeped out of each of Hinata's fingers, and wrapped around the beast, holding in place for a while, as she put more pressure on it's joints and 'wounds'. The beast thrashed and tried to get out of the chakra net, but Hinata held on, waiting for the last devastating strike, the last leg of the relay. His Rasenshuriken fully charged, Naruto ran in, while two of his clones ran at the monster's other side with a similar attack. "RASENSHURIKEN!" They all yelled simultaneously. As the two massive Fuuton attacks crashed into either side of the beast, Hinata tightened the chakra net as much as she could, creating no way for the beast to somehow escape. After a few antagonising seconds, the combination of chakra, metal and pure force exploded, the creature was blown into thousands of pieces, and Naruto was thrown into the air. He landed on the ground, and didn't get up. Feeling her legs turn into jelly, and the darkness closing around her vision, Hinata allowed herself to succumb to blissful oblivion which greeted her with open arms.

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And that is the first chapter…or prologue if you want it to be. I have no idea where the plot line is going to go, but I'll just flow with my muse…I guess.

Please hit the review button, and write a few encouraging words if you can't be bothered doing anything more.

Thanks for reading!!

-- Bitter-Sweet Teardrops


	2. Chapter 1

Hello peeps!!

Another chapter here.

I'm having a lot of fun writing this story, and I currently have…one thing planned for this fic, but if you people have anything you want to see in it, or want to give me some ideas, that would be very welcome. (I've never really been good at planning out stories, it's always my muse which dictates the direction). Anyhow, Enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…I wish I did…**

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Back To Back

Chapter 1

…_Argh!! Another one! Quick, you… yes, YOU, get a bed for this guy, you there, go get supplies, you get…_

… _-illy him, using that __**massive**__ jutsu, he knew he was going to run out…_

…_that's Naruto for you…can't make him give up…_

…_I wonder when he's going to wake up…_

…_out for a few days now…_

**Where am I…?**

**I feel like I just got squished by a freight train, died and came back to life…**

**Oh Kami my head kills…**

**I hope we destroyed that massive thing…**

**Speaking of 'we'…**

**Hinata-chan!**

**Where's Hinata-chan! **

Naruto flinched and promptly retreated back into his blankets as sunlight which was streaming in from the hole of a window assaulted his tender eyelids.

"Argh! Close the window, the light, it burns!!" he yelped, or tried to yelp. What came out instead sounded like Gamabunta with a _really_ bad cold. To his relief, he heard someone snap the covering shut, and warily stuck his head out into the open again. This time, however, his eyes were not bunt off by a flash of brightness. Carefully, he cracked one eye open, and then proceeded to do the same with the other one. When they had stopped focusing and unfocusing enough for him to properly distinguish who the person standing in front of him was, he almost wished that he had remained in his dreams. Standing in front of him was a minimally-clad (due to the heat wave they were experiencing), pink-haired medic whose bright green eyes were about as warm as ice. Her hands were on her hips, and she was looking down at him along her nose, with a frown. Naruto knew that stance. It was the way she stood and the facial expression she wore that not-so-subtly hinted that he was in for a tongue-lashing.

"Uzumaki Naruto," She began in a voice that was too sweet to bear good news, "why did I find you in _my_ medical tent with fatal wounds and severe chakra exhaustion four days ago? And why on earth was Hinata in a similar, albeit _slightly_ better, condition that you were? I remember quite clearly telling you to be careful, and make sure you don't end up in any medic's tent for the fifteenth time since this war begun?"

Naruto squirmed uncomfortably under her scrutinising glare, which soon turned into a murderous one…

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU **DO NOT** TRY TO PULL OFF SEVERE CHAKRA EXHAUSTING JUSTSU'S WHEN YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE?! DO YOU KNOW HOW SCARED I WAS WHEN THE TEAM THAT WAS SENT TO FIND YOU TWO BROUGHT YOU BACK WITH BITS AND PIECES OF THAT…MONSTER STILL STUCK ON YOUR CLOTHING? AND THAT THERE WAS BLOOD _ALL_ OVER THE NINJA WHO WAS CARRYING YOU? OR THAT YOUR WOUNDS WERE ENOUGH TO KILL _**FOUR**_ NINJA?"

Pulling her self together, she continued in a more dignified manner.

"Do you know how long it took me and _Tsunade-sama combined _to make sure that you and Hinata didn't die of blood loss, chakra exhaustion, chakra burns, _pain_, and a whole heap of other things? It took us five hours to stabilise both of you. And then Tsunade-sama wasn't one-hundred percent sure that you'd make it back into the world of the living. You've been out for four days, _but_ there seems to be cease fire, so you didn't miss out on a lot of fighting."

Seeing him open his mouth, she answered his unspoken question. "Hinata is fine, and in the tent next to us. She woke up a little while ago, and she's been walking around for a bit. She wanted to come in here, but I said that you weren't awake yet, so I think I'd better go tell he-"

The tent flap opened and a dark-haired figure he knew so well popped into the room. "Um, hi, Sakura-san, I was wondering if Naru-, Oh, Naruto! You're awake!" And with that, she had him in a bone-crushing hug, which probably ended up re-braking his healing ones, and leaving him gasping for breath even after she let him go. And all of a sudden, her burst of out-going disappeared (when she realised that he had no shirt on, and was covered in tightly-wrapped bandages – which, by the way, showed off his toned muscles very well), and she turned back into sweet, but shy Hyuuga Hinata. With a big blush rapidly spreading across her face, and a giggling Sakura who had watched the whole scenario, she asked him how he was, and they relaxed into conversation, during which Sakura took her leave, slipping out un-noticed.

Exiting the tent, she grinned, they were finally getting somewhere. _**Hell yeah, oh, and Naruto's turned into a real hottie now, hasn't he? Hinata's got a great catch… **_inner Sakura commented. Sakura grinned. 'Now that we've go those two settle, lets go check on Sasuke, shall we?'

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Gaara opened the scroll which the frog he recognised as Jiraiya-sama's summon animal, had delivered.

It read,

_Dearest Kazekage:_

_We hope that you are well and safe._

_In relation to the current war that Konoha is experiencing, we have been pushed to our limits, and wish to ask for some assistance from you and the Suna shinobi. We hope that you will act in accordance to our alliance, and respond in all urgency._

_Now, all formality aside, (this is Tsunade, the above was the council), Naruto has been itching to see you, and he's not stopped going on about how "We haven't seen Gaara, Temari and Kankuro in __**ages**__, and wouldn't this pesky war end way sooner if those three and some of their people came along and helped us blast the enemy lines? Oh, and Shikamaru has a crush on Temari." The brat has been trying my patience, which I am well on the way to loosing, and as much as my pride suffers, I'm inclined to agree with him. So if you would be willing to send a few shinobi to Konoha with a few medics for aid, we would be eternally grateful. _

_We expect to hear a reply from you soon. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Tsunade, Godaime Hokage_

_PS, if you could send the reply message before my ears get blown and Naruto's skull obtains a crack, I would appreciate it very much. _

_PPS, please refrain from doing anything to the young tactical genius. He's a major asset to us, and I, personally, do not want his dad (in whose footsteps his son follows), asking me why his son seems to be running away when ever the Kazekage appears in sight. Even though he would've figured it out miles beforehand. _

A rare grin planted on his usually motionless façade, Gaara rolled his reply up, and attached it to his hawks' leg. He had more than enough willing shinobi. Temari, for one, wanted to see the shadow-user, what was his name now…oh yes, Shikamaru (He was actually quiet amused when Tsunade-sama seemed to think that he would cause someone like that bodily harm in a war, though maybe outside of a war…the circumstances would be different), Kankuro would go for the sake of going, and for the dango, and he was rather up to the idea of meeting his hyperactive blonde friend again. Many still remember the 'attractive (from some of the female population), whiskered shinobi who saved Kazekage-sama from the Akatsuki" a while back. He had no trouble gathering a group of able ninja to accompany him. He turned.

"Temari, Kankuro, prepare to leave. We depart tomorrow morning."

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Iwa's Leader was not happy. That monster was their specialty. Made from the rock which had been the foundation of their strong country, it should not have been so easily destroyed. And there was also the fact that he had witnessed a blonde speed demon using the most famous jutsu of the Yellow Flash. Hiraishin. If his informants were right, this was either the Yellow Flash himself, or it is one of his descendants. And if either of those facts were true, then Iwa was in danger. Grave danger.

Known to have slaughtered armies within minutes, if the blonde demon, which also seemed to be the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and therefore obviously was not the Yellow Flash, was capable of doing similar things, the outcome of this war would most likely be set in stone. Unless whatever _he_ was planning would be effective enough to counter the speed he had witnessed. Never the less, the amazing show of speed and intelligence had earned the young man a place in their Bingo Book. He was dangerous though. No matter what counter attack _he'd_ been working on, if they let this blonde live long enough, there wouldn't be enough shinobi to carry out the orders, and make the counter attack work .He had to be killed. Eliminated. Destroyed. And as soon as possible.

His lavender-eyed companion was undoubtedly a Hyuuga. The heiress, if his informants and spies were correct. Her juuken was something to be impressed with though, even if it had limited to no effect on their iron killer. Her constricting chakra net, however, was something which had not been mentioned in her file. She would be put into the Bingo Book as well.

Being a tactical commander, the Leader of the Iwa forces could see the potential danger that his forces would be put into if they were trapped in their attack groups under the net. If her chakra capacity was anything near the blonde's, she would be able to destroy a whole army of Iwa men, and they would not be able to react fast enough to escape. If she could constrict it when it was spread out over a distance like that, then many of their forces would be killed, or more likely, crushed. Along with that blonde jinchuuriki, they could eliminate armies of men before the real fighting had started.

There were a whole lot of 'ifs', but _if_ they were all true, then Iwa was as good as beaten. Into a bloody and unrecognisable pulp.

"Rock Snake, Rock Mouse." He called. Two ANBU appeared before him. "I have a double assassination mission for you."

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Naruto stared at the little book he held in his hands. What in the name of _Kami_ was his name doing in it, along with a very crudely (and quite offensive) portrait of him? This was a newly updated Bingo Book. At first, he had been quite surprised when Tsunade had handed the book over to him, with a smirk on her face which spelled trouble. This was a _Iwa_ Bingo Book. Where she had gotten it, and how she had gotten it so fast was of a mystery to him (it had only been updated three days ago).

_Uzumaki Naruto_

_Jounin of Konohagakure_

_Age: 22_

_A ranked shinobi_

_$400 000 ryo reward for capture/kill. _

_Send body to Iwa._

_Seems to have mastered 'Hiraishin', famed technique of the Yellow flash. He uses the same tri-pronged kunai as Kiiroi Senko, but with a slightly altered seal. _

_Similar in appearance to the Yellow flash, three distinct whisker marks in each cheek. _

_Said to be the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the most powerful of the tailed bijuu._

_Special techniques:_

_-Kage bunshin_

_-Rasengan_

_-Fuuton: Rasenshuriken_

_-Double Rasenshuriken_

_-Hiraishin _

_-Summon animal: Frogs_

He grinned in amusement. He was in a Bingo Book. And Sasuke wasn't. Yet…

When he flipped over a few pages, he found a similar page dedicated to Hinata. Chuckling, he snapped the book shut and tucked it into his coat pocket. He would go and see Sasuke in a short while but first, he had to check on Hinata…to, well, you know…cuddle a little, kiss a little, and maybe do a little bit more…

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And that is the end of the first official chapter of 'Back To Back". Thanks to all the people who reviewed, hope you all liked the chapter.

Please feel _very_ free to drop in a review…its really simple, just click the little button that says 'Review this story/chapter' and write something. Anything.

Because I really like reviews, they make me very happy, that people are appreciating my work and that they've been bothered to drop a little word or comment.

Anyhow, see you next time!

-- Bitter-Sweet Teardrops


	3. Chapter 2

Hello! I'm back!

Sorry for making you wait ages, I've been really busy and such. But here is the next chapter of Back to Back. Please remember to leave a review if you've got the time and can be bothered. Hope you enjoy the chappy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. **

**Enjoy!**

**___________________________________________________________________________**

Back to Back

Chapter Two

Smirking, Naruto entered his and Hinata's shared tent and put the little book into his pack. He then proceeded to change out of his grimy and sweaty clothing, the result of a extremely laborious 'chore' Hinata-chan had assigned him.

_Hehe!_ He thought to himself and couldn't resist grinning in amusement once more. _I just got Sasuke into a load of trouble. But, I also got into a lot of trouble…well, it was worth it. _

He didn't think that anyone apart from him knew what the stoic Uchiha did when in the presence of his un-naturally strong girlfriend. When he was in a fight, he was serious, yet fiery. When he was in the company of fan-girls, he was astoundingly good at escaping. When he was with people of the rookie nine (apart from Naruto), he was just…Sasuke. When he was with Naruto, he was, to Naruto's great surprise, quite co-operative, and fun to be with, even though he still kept his stoic and emotionless out-look (he was opening up a bit more though). But with Sakura, well, he was everything that Hinata used to be. Quiet, obedient, meek, and polite (to some extent). Of course, anyone would behave like that if they were in the same room with a angry pink-haired kunoichi, but if you had actually seen Sasuke and the way he behaved, you would truly understand the wrath of Konoha's second best medic nin.

**Fifteen minutes earlier:**

"Oi, Teme, look what I've got!" sang a smirking Naruto as he bounded into his best friends' tent. In his hand, he held a little book in front of Sasuke's face, which he easily recognised as a Bingo Book.

"Dobe, that's a Bingo Book. There's nothing special about it."

"Well, it's an Iwa one. Does that spark any interest?"

"Not really."

Naruto pouted. But then his expression turned into a bright one again. He following question would definitely have Sasuke fighting him for the little leather-bound book.

"Yeah, well, Sasuke-baka, guess who's in it!"

"Who's in it?"

"Not telling."

He watched as Sasuke tried to keep the interest from rising into his face, and couldn't help sniggering as he watched it scrunch up a little in a failed attempt to keep his disinterested façade.

"Give me the book."

"Na-ah, Teme, you've gotta get it off me."

"Dobe, just give me the book. I don't want to fight with a dead-last like you."

"Teme! That wounds me. Ahhhh well, guess you don't really want to see what's inside anyway. I'll just go and show Shikamaru and stuff. Cy--"

He narrowly dodged the hand which came shooting at him, passing just a centimetre to the right. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Dobe." He said warningly.

"Teme." Naruto sang. Unlike his best friend and rival, he was having a lot of fun tormenting the Uchiha.

Killer-intent suddenly filled the little tent, though as soon as it had appeared, it disappeared. Sasuke really didn't want to attract the attention of his girl-friend.

"Dobe. Give. Me. The. Book. Now." Sasuke growled, as he activated his Sharingan.

"Come get it if you ca-an." He gave his friend a smug little smile and proceeded to skip, jump and dance around the little tent, knowing that this would probably infuriate the dark-haired boy even more.

Soon, they were in an all-out male catfight. Well, that was, until Sakura came in, with Hinata following her.

They took one look at the mess, at the boys, back at the mess, and then at each other. And rolled up their sleeves. The boys looked at the mess, at their respective girlfriends, and then at each other. And gulped.

For an hour afterward, some masculine yelps and feminine shouts were noticed by the rest of the people in the camp.

"…You freaking idiot! Do you know what you were doing?!..."

"…Wait, Sakura, OW! That was Naruto, not me!"

"...Naruto-kun! I expected you to be calmer and more like a ninja in the middle of a war! Hurry up and clean it up!!..."

"…but that wasn't meeee! That was teme!! Ouch, ouch, ouch! Okay!! I'll put it back!"

"…Sasuke Uchiha. I don't care if you're the last of the clan, you're cleaning this up whether you like it or not! NOW!"

"…Naruto-kun! That's _not_ where it was! Put it in the _right_ spot, please!"

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Hatake Kakashi walked around the battle field, gathering as much kunai and shuriken as well as a sword, katana or wakizashi here or there. All his weapons had been lost during the second wave, and Konoha was in too much of a tight position to be sending more weapons out at the right pace. So, they had to make-do with what they had. And what they could get. He didn't like to scavenge the weapons off dead ninja, Konoha or not. Spoilers were different, they were a form of payment, but he thought that ninja should at least die with a weapon. There were times when scavenging was necessary though, and this was one of them.

As he bent down to pick up another set of weapons, a shadow from a bird flying above caught his attention. A few seconds after, a scroll landed in his hand.

It said: "Retreat back to camp. We will discuss what to do next there." There was Jiraiya's signature at the end, so he believed it.

Shrugging, he rolled the scroll up, stood up straight and silently headed back to camp. There would be time to find more weaponry later.

He was also very curious to know if Naruto was alright.

__________________________________

"Aw man, this is such a drag." Shikamaru mumbled as he turned to Tsunade. "Hokage-sama, I think that the Iwa shinobi are waiting for something. Their attack patterns and their attack numbers do not match up to the intelligence which we have been given by Jiraiya-sama. This leads me to think that they are saving their energy and strength to either fight alongside something more powerful, or to make a huge charge to cut down our numbers."

Tsunade frowned, but nodded her head in agreement and turned to Shino. Shikaku and Shibi were in different camps, but their sons were more than sufficient replacements.

"Hokage-sama, I agree with Shikamaru. Logically, you would expect their attack numbers to be larger in order to force our shinobi back, and to capture ground. However, their attack forces have been growing increasingly less, it almost seems like they are luring us into their territory. When they have us in a position which suits them, they will unleash their ace, and knock us down."

Tsunade also agreed to that. The two heirs to the Nara and Aburame clan were the most logical and intelligent young men in the rookie nine. For them to be anticipating something like that, it seemed like she would be a fool not to take their advice.

"Alright, thank-you, Shikamaru, Shino. Shikamaru, I want you to send a coded message to each of the other camps. Tell them what we have talked about here. Shino, could you please send your insects out to the rest of your clan members. We will need their scouting ability in the next phase of out attack. Dismissed."

As she watched the two males exit the tent, she suddenly had feeling that things were not going to get better before they got worse.

"Rat, please get Jiraiya, and tell him to report to me immediately."

As the ANBU disappeared in a swirl of leaves, Tsunade settled at her make-shift desk. This was the time for a major tactical reorganisation.

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Two dirty and thoroughly rebuked young men staggered out of a tent, followed by two very pleased young women looking no worse for wear.

"Well, now that's done, Naruto-kun, I want you to go and get some water for me. There is a water-hole a few hundred metres west of this camp, and I will need a few bucketfuls."

She handed him a _huge _bucket. "A few of those should do the trick", she stated, looking very amusedly at the kicked-puppy look on his face. She knew what was coming.

"Hinata-chaaaaan! I just finished cleaning up a whole medical tent with teme over there, and now I have-to do chores? Sakura isn't making him fetch water!!"

"Well, do you want to know what she's got in mind for him?"

"What?"

"He's going to be cleaning out the latrines. If you want, you can go join him. If not," she gave him an evil grin, "I suggest you to go and get those bucketfuls of water. Now."

"OSSU!" He tried to lift the bucket, but immediately dropped it again. Onto his foot. "YEOW!!" he yelped as he swore at the bucket and hopped around on his uninjured foot. Hinata couldn't help but giggle. "That's what you get. Now hurry up and go get the water. I'll need it for the patients afterward. Oh, and honey, no kage-bunshins allowed. Now off you go!"

**With Sasuke on the other side of the camp…**

"Right, Sasuke-kun. Time for your next job. As extended punishment for making such a huge mess, you, get the job of cleaning out the latrines." She smirked at the positively murderous look her boyfriend of three years was giving her.

"Sakura. I am _not_ cleaning up after a whole camp."

"Well, Sasuke, _someone's _got to do it, and you literally volunteered for the job."

"I'm not going to lower myself into cleaning the sewers of this campsite. Besides, why should I do this if the dobe gets to go and do whatever?"

Sakura leaned closer to him, so that her face was right in front o f his. The evil glint in her eyes sent shivers down his spine.

"What makes you think _Naruto_ gets to go and 'do whatever'? Do you want to know what he's doing? He stuck carrying heavy bucket loads of water for Hinata. The buckets themselves weigh a few kilos. And they can hold another ten kilos of water. And he's not allowed to use kage-bunshins."

Sasuke stared. "Fine. I'll go clean that damn latrine…"

Sakura grinned. "Now that's my boy. Oh, and Sasuke-sweetie, no jutsu's allowed."

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Leader bowed. "Orochimaru-sama, everything seems to be going to the plan. Konoha's forces are being drawn out and have advanced closer and closer. They are more willing to take risks and there have been more four-man squads moving around. In about two weeks or so, we will be able to unleash _it_."

Orochimaru smiled. It was not the smile of a man. It was the smile of a beast. A beast waiting for its prey. Posing to strike, just waiting for the right moment. _Tsunade-hime, your time is coming. As for you, Naruto-kun, we shall se how much you have improved. Only then will I deem you worthy to keep alive or not. Sasuke will eventually be mine again and you will be my ultimate test-subject._ Plans for the future set in mind, Orochimaru smiled. Ku ku ku, Wait, Konoha. My time is coming. I will destroy those who have wronged me. And kill those who have made me suffer.

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And that is the end of the second chapter!

Hope you liked it, and please leave a review.

Don't expect me to update until October, to those who are following this fic. I have assessment tasks and an important music practical exam coming up really soon, and I probably won't have time to write more.

However, I will update as soon as I can.

-- Bitter-Sweet Teardrops.


	4. Chapter 3

Back to Back

Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot line.

Enjoy reading!

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Chapter 3

I stand at the edge of a cliff which towers over raging waves, as it points its majestic head over toward the horizon. I feel an odd sense of calm as I look at the sun, peeking its head over the water line. The wind rushes through my hair, causing it to flap around my face. I close my blue eyes, and spread out my arms as I enjoy the sense of freedom this gives me. The wind seems to blow all my heartache and troubles away, freeing my heart of the constrictive prison which the loss of a loved one has created.

Hinata, I thought. My beautiful Hinata-chan. The one person who really saw me, and accepted me, right from the beginning, without any hesitation. The one who would have followed me to the ends of the earth if I had asked. The one who had died to save me from that black fire. Tears made their way down my cheeks as I saw the image in my mind again and again, just like every other day. I was on the ground, Sasuke was opposite me. I knew I wasn't going to be able to squirm and wriggle my way out of this, so for the first time in my life I accepted what he was about to do. If it brought him back to Konoha, then my life was a small price to pay. He had shot black fire, Ameratsu, I think he shouted, at my pathetic prone figure and I lay on the ground, preparing myself for death, when I heard a scream. Hinata-chan's scream. The last thing I saw was the black fire engulfing her body before I saw red in the anger and grief which clouded my better judgement.

Hinata-chan's dead. And it's all my fault.

I allowed a small smile to grace my dry, cracked lips as I thought of her smile and laughter. Something which I'd never see again. I wonder if Kami let people like me into paradise. People, like me, who have unintentionally murdered someone. People who have witnessed the death of their loved one, their most precious one, and done nothing. Like me.

I suppose I have no soul or spirit left. I killed my wife, I killed my lover. I killed the person who had devoted her whole life to me. They must have died the moment the black flames touched her skin, immediately killing her in their intensity. My physical being is the walking image of a heartless person. My spiritual being must be dead. There is nothing which will save me now.

I hope that the letter I left for Tsunade and Shikamaru on the Hokage desk gets found. I hope they will understand. I hope that through Tsunade, my wrong to the village will be righted. I left the village, because of my own selfish needs and I'm willing to accept whatever may be thrown at me. Being Hokage-in-training is one thing, achieving my dream is another, but losing the person who anchored me to the world is one thing that I cannot live with.

Taking my coat off, I dipped my hand into my pant pocket and pulled out a crumpled picture. Smoothing it out, I held it above the water by the tip of my fingers. A gust of wind blew across the cliff, ruffling the tops of the grass and the flowers. I blinked my eyes, and felt a few tears drop out of my eyes and I relinquish my slight hold on the photo, and watched it drift with the wind, feeling the last fragment of my heart go with it.

"Follow the wind, child. Surrender to nature. Let yourself be whisked away. Forget the troubles of your heart, let the breeze blow it away with you, child."

I heard, and I followed. I undid my Konoha hitai-ate and laid it next to my coat. The dawn was breaking, the first pink- golden rays of the sun starting to warm the earth up. Taking one last look around at the place I called home for so long, I stepped to the edge of the cliff, lifted my leg, and stepped off into air. I could feel my body slowly following my foot as I floated down toward the waves.

As icy water engulfed me, I smiled. Soon, Hinata-chan, I thought. Soon, I'll be able to see you again. Please, wait for me; I'll catch up to you. I love you...

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Naruto woke up covered in a layer of cold sweat. The orange light from the sun lighted up his tent, and he could hear the bustling of the medics outside. Sakura was yelling and he could hear answering "Hai!"'s, as the hurried footsteps of the many nurses made their way around his tent to attend to their many patients. Everything seemed to be normal, but the dream had seemed unnaturally real. Was it a warning of some sort? Was it a glimpse of his future? Or was it something which might happen if he was not careful? He felt a strange nervous fluttering in his heart which was a sensation which he hardly ever experienced, but brushed it off as an after-effect of such a nightmare. Shrugging, he got dressed. Whatever he dreamed about, it could wait. Right now, he was about one minute and still counting from running late for a tactical meeting.

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Orochimaru sat on his throne, his body half illuminated by the flickering candle, half overshadowed by the darkness of the small room. His devoted medic and disciple stood silently next to him as they watched the trembling man who knelt in front of them.

"Are they ready, Matsuki-kun?"

"H-Hai, Kabuto-sama, they are ready for operation." The man's voice wavered as the cruel golden eyes of Orochimaru stared intently at him. The thin lips of the snake curved into a grim smile.

"Matsuki-ssssan, they had better be. Or you will become another of my testsss."

The kneeling man flinched, and knelt even lower than before. Kabuto spoke up again.

"Matsuki-kun, you may go now."

As the man closed the door, Kabuto turned to his lord and master.

"Orochimaru-sama, Naruto-kun will be participating in the fighting. Shall we try to capture him during the fighting when they are distracted, or afterwards, when they are weak? I, for one, am particularly interesting in testing out Naruto-kun's strength."

The golden eyes of the snake slowly turned toward him.

"Kabuto, my faithful servant, when do you think out dear Naruto0kun is the most vulnerable? No, no, let me rephrase. _Who_ do you think is Naruto-kun's vulnerability?"

The cool and calculating eyes looked on in cruel amusement as understanding dawned in his grey-haired lackey's eyes. Certain that he now understood, Orochimaru went on.

"Kabuto, we will take his girl first. Then, our dear Naruto-kun will come running without hesitation."

He cackled in dark mirth as he thought of upcoming amusement. It will be fun to hear their screams.

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Blah, blah, blah! Naruto didn't know why these people even asked him to come to this meeting. Tsunade and Shikamaru had discussed tactic of attack, then he and Shino had told the rest of the group their deductions about Orochimaru, and then they had told Sakura what they needed from the medics, and now, they were in the middle of discussing how many people they should send at a time, and where they should go. They knew he would be bored to the point of committing seppuku with a hairpin...

"Naruto, I know that you are extremely bored, but I really would like you to listen to the next part of our plans because they directly involve you." The annoyed voice of Tsunade cut across his thoughts.

Slowly, the glazed look which had covered his face disappeared and when Tsunade deemed him to have returned to earth enough, she went on with the discussion.

"I was planning to use Naruto's _Hirashin_ for this wave. This will be the first time he has tested it out as a mass-elimination technique, and not only as a massive speed boost. The Kazekage, Gaara will arrive in a few days, which will be after this wave of fighting. I will hand out one hundred of Naruto's tri-pronged kunai to each of you. When you go back to camp, distribute them to the shinobi who will be participating in this wave. Tell them to have them hidden with the rest of their kunai in their weapons pouch. When they see the standard signal, tell them to retreat immediately while throwing the tri-pronged kunai anywhere they see a group of enemy nin. You will need to emphasis the _retreat immediately_ order, because some will want to stay behind, without doubt, to play hero. Tell they're going to end up on the memorial stone as a nin who was KIA if they do.

This is where you come in, Naruto. When you see the signal, I want you to wait for three seconds, and then activate the jutsu. You'll be using this like your father did. As a mass-killing technique. This is the most important part of this tactic, because the enemy, even though they know that you posses this skill, do not know if you can complete it for a long range since all you have shown them have been for close combat.

I must warn you however, that using this jutsu is very dangerous, and requires a lot of stamina, concentration and _common sense_, which unfortunately is something you lack to some extent." Knowing an outburst of: 'Hey! I _do _have common sense' was on its way, she raised a hand to effectively keep him quiet.

"I don't want you trying to obliterate the whole army when you think that you are at your limit. I don't want you to draw on the fox's chakra; I want you to rely on your own this time. I know that when you're doing a long range Hirashin you need some of the chakra but I want to see how much you can do without it. If you're in a life and death situation, you're more than welcome to use it, but otherwise, try to stay away from it. But the most important thing is to come back safe and alive, you go that, brat?"

He nodded.

"Well good. Dismissed!"

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The young couple sat close to the tender glow of their small campfire and stared up at the stars. As he looked at the multitude of bright specks and points of light in the ebony sky, Naruto concluded that stargazing with his girlfriend on a night like this was probably on of the best things he'd done so far. It was a beautiful sight, but nothing could beat his Hina-chan. Nothing.

He looked over at his girl friend, taking note of how her soft hair flowed down her shoulders, how her pretty lavender eyes gazed tenderly at the stars, how there was a small smile on her face and felt to the unexplainable urge of a man in love to hold her in his arms and never let go. Reaching out, he gently slid his arm around her petite waist and puller her closer to him, so that they fit against each-other perfectly. His arm around her, her head resting against his chest, sitting next to their little campfire watching the stars, unaware of anything that was around them.

A small ray of bright light caught his eye, and he pointed his finger at it.

"Look, Hina-hime, isn't that so pretty?"

"Yes, it's beautiful."

"You know, hime, when you see a shooting star, you're supposed to wish on it?"

"Yes, I did, I've already wished."

"Okay then, my turn."

He turned to look at her, his clear blue eyes looking intently into her lavender ones, smothering her with love and affection which her reserved for her, and only her.

"I wish, no, I hope, that we will never be separated, that nothing anyone or anything does will tear us apart. And I promise that I'll do whatever it takes to protect you, and love you, and keep you happy. Because you're the most important person in my life. Whatever happens, I'll follow you to the ends of the earth if you asked. 'Cos I love you."

He gave her a tender little smile, and out his arm around her shoulder protectively.

Yes, he would protect her, and nothing would be able to tear them apart. Not Sasuke, not Orochimaru, not even the devil himself, because that was the strength of love.

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And so the third chapter has come to an end. I'm really worried about this chapter; it seems that no matter how much I edit or change it, it never feels just right. I hope you guys thought it was okay, and that it moved the story on.

Anyhow, please leave a review, and have a nice day!

-- Bitter-Sweet Teardrops

PS. I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long. I had assessments, and I broke my finger so it took ages to type and everything. But I hope it was worth the wait.


	5. Chapter 4

Back to Back

Chapter 4

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"_Oi, Naruto -. Can yo- - r- gist-r! P-le-e….r-ply...d- -be...c-n...ear..e...-hu..ry..p...!...."_

_Static._

"_N..to…this i…nata…peak-ng…pl..se..r-ly…i-…y-u..ea...me…"_

And the radio crackled, and went silent.

Brows furrowed, the blonde haired man with the mask of a fox and the tattoo of a captain stared into the mist, his brain working overtime to try and find a way he could communicate with his men. With a seriousness he was not known for, he quickly analysed their situation, pushing himself and his fatigued body to think up a way to retreat without getting injured or lost. When Tsunade obaasan gave his squad this mission, she had kindly neglected to mention that Iwa and Orochimaru had some sort of treaty going on with the Mist, or that the Mist had somehow decided that they were going to participate in the war, going against Konoha (and therefore siding with the snake bastard). Either way, he and his squad members were out there, stuck in a damn thick fog, without the means to communicate, or the strength to get out of it. It was wasn't that he was worried about their ability to take care of themselves, Sasuke, Hinata and Sakura had shown themselves more than capable of doing that, it was the fact they, like himself, were exhausted after a week with a grand total of three hours of shut-eye and having to keep up and unrelenting pace of travel the whole time. They had killed a few groups of scouting nin, and fended off a group of bandits, and overall stopped anything from getting to Konoha while they were at it…but it was a tiring job, since their patrol needed to go on for 24 hours, especially when Konoha was unable to supply anyone from taking over. Sighing, he steered his mind back to the situation at hand. This wave of fighting had been going on for a while, and the old granny had decided that since the wave looked like it was going to be a long one, she was going to send him out on a mission with his squad. She either totally forgot that she wanted him to try a _long_ range Hirashin at the last stage of the battle – without using Kyuubi – (which by the way was in about a week) or she was trying to tire him out. The first explanation made more sense though....

He was shocked when a hand grabbing a kunai shot out of the mist and missed his chest by a few millimetres, slightly grazing his ANBU armour. Cursing mentally, he leaped backwards out of instinct, right into a puddle of some sticky goo which held tight to his boots. He was given no time to ponder how to get out of it though, when a barrage of kunai flew toward him from the side and he was forced to whip out his own to deflect them. Again, he was shocked when the last of them had an powerful exploding tag attached to it, which detonated right when it flew in front of him, effectively burning his arms which he had raised to shield himself and some of his clothes, but also, to his advantage, breaking him out of the watery paste he was trapped in. Whilst he was still recovering from the blast, he felt a strong kick to his chest, a sharp edge slice his left sleeve where it connected to his shoulder, and before he had time to block, he was sent flying through the mist until his back hit a tree trunk. Badly winded, he squinted his eyes in an attempt to see through the haze of water droplets while his hands felt for any broken ribs. Luckily, he found none. The sound of laughter ran through the fog. It was laced with mocking and cruel amusement. "Foolish Leaf ninja…is this all you have, Uzumaki Naruto?" Said ninja could picture the smirk which was growing on his enemy's face. "They seem to have tragically over estimated your abilities in the Bingo Book…" the humourless chuckle of the Mist nin echoed around him. "And, oh, is that an ANBU captain's tattoo you bear on your shoulder? How disappointing. Konoha must be getting very desperate to give a ninja with your abilities such a rank."

Though he kept an emotionless, I-don't-really-care-what-you-say façade, Naruto could feel anger bubbling up inside of him, even though his rational mind told him that they were only trying to rile him up. They dare speak of his beloved village in such a degrading way! Grunting, he stood up, and whipping out his katana, he sped toward the enemy whose location he had pinpointed by listening to their voice. The sharp clang of metal meeting metal vibrated through the mist. Twisting his body around to block a harsh jab, he executed a sharp roundhouse kick toward the Mist nin's lower back, but quickly changed tactics as he felt a hand wrap around his ankle, preparing to throw him. Using the force as leverage, he lifted himself up and aimed a strong kick to the back of his enemy's head. Not quite expecting such a quick comeback, the mist nin was a tad too slow in defending, and Naruto smirked as he saw his eyes roll back and felt the grasp on his ankle grow limp. The ninja flopped on to the ground like a rag doll. Straightening up, he started walking away, trying to gage his lost sense of direction in the mist. His sharp ears caught the slight sound of kunai rushing through air milliseconds before he felt two similarly painful impacts of a sharp metal object bury themselves in his back. Cursing the mist, he whirled around to face the direction the kunai came from while reaching back and pulling the two kunai out of his back as well as sliding his katana out of its case. The sharp glint of metal caught his eye and he was just able to block the oncoming slash of a wakizashi with his katana. To his right, another short sword appeared, and flew forward with alarming speed and accuracy. Making use of the kunai he was still grabbing with his left hand, he barely managed to redirect the direction of the weapon, just as another barrage of kunai flew toward him. He felt a bead of sweat drip down his face as he tried to steady his breathing. Pushing the wakizashi away from him he summoned up what energy he had left and leaped out of the way of the kunai. Slash. A longer blade swung out of nowhere, catching him across his abdomen, tearing the material of his top while causing a long horizontal wound. He gasped in surprise, automatically wrapping an arm around his mid-section. While it was not a serious injury, it would hinder his flexibility, hurt and bleed a lot.

Taking a quick glance at the situation he was in, he realised that he had better fall back. If he kept going at this rate, he was going to get himself pretty badly hurt. Exhaustion was taking its toll on his body. As well as loss of blood he added, after looking at his sleeve and finding it stained a dark purple instead of its normal navy. Unconsciously, his free hand dropped to his weapons pouch, and while it was digging inside for smoke bombs and exploding tags, his fingers collided with a small bottle of soldier pills. He'd forgotten that he had them. Hurriedly opening the lid, he popped one into his mouth and swallowed. Almost immediately, he felt the familiar energy of the pill flood his body, and sighed when his attackers moved around him. "Show yourselves!" he called as he got into his battle stance. Absently, he wondered why they hadn't attacked when he was fiddling around with his pouch, but pushed the thought out of his mind when he noticed that the mist had cleared slightly. Three silhouettes made themselves visible as they walked calmly toward him.

"Uzumaki Naruto. We are not here to fight you." The tallest of the three ninja said. His tenor voice was filled with disdain, and malice, but laced with spiteful glee. "We are here to inform you." He walked forward, leaving his comrades a few steps behind him. To Naruto's surprise, the ninja he had previously knocked out was there as well. Reaching his hand out, the apparent leader of the three swiftly encased the surprised man in a prison of ice which was designed to dig into the ANBU captain's skin from many different angles, causing a numbing pain and inducing small but painful gashes and cuts which soon tinted the ice a slight pink shade. Naruto gritted his teeth and tried to keep himself composed. This was bad. Even with the strength of the soldier pill, he was still exhausted. He knew that the strength to break out of this ice prison was not something he currently possessed. Deciding to give what he had left, he extended his chakra from all points of his body, and made a barrier between the ice and his body. Obviously the Mist ninja saw through his efforts when the prison tightened just enough to put pressure on him, but not break anything. The blonde growled. Reaching into his mind, he tried communicating with Kyuubi, only to find that there was some sort of barrier blocking him. Cursing at whoever did this, he looked at the three men standing around him. The leader smirked. "If you are wondering, your communication with the Kyuubi has been cut off, and it will stay that way until we have finished our little chat." He leaned in closer. "Orochimaru-sama has something you love and cherish," he smiled, showing his teeth and narrowed his eyes. "And you'll never see it again if you don't go save it." Tightening his hand, his smile widened as he saw his victim open his mouth in a silent gasp of pain as he felt pain erupting from his body. Smirking, he turned his back and disappeared with his men, dispersing the mist with a simple action of his hand, and leaving the injured and unconscious ANBU trapped in his cage of ice.

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Hinata stepped back from her Jyuuken in surprise when the 'ninja' she was fighting disappeared in a splash of water, forming a puddle at her feet. _Mizu bunshin?_ It surprised her that she didn't see through the clone. It certainly resembled a human very closely. When she lifted her head, she noticed that the mist was rapidly disappearing. She allowed a small smile of victory to grace her lips. Naruto-kun, Sakura-san or Sasuke-san must have defeated the makers of the bunshin then. A wave of fatigue washed over her as she eyed her surroundings. Turning her radio on, she tapped it a few times before speaking into it. "Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, this is Hinata. Please reply if you can hear this. I repeat, please reply if you hear this." Almost immediately, the radio crackled to life. "Hinata, I can hear you." Sakura's voice crackled through the transmitter. A few moments later, Sasuke also replied in a similar fashion. Hinata almost laughed with relief. If Naruto was busy, he would take a little longer to reply, but seeing as the other two members of her squad were fine, Naruto wouldn't have gotten himself into trouble he couldn't handle. In the moment her guard was lowered, a mist ninja jumped out from behind her and wrapped both his arms around her neck, effectively putting her in a choke hold. A piece of cloth was hurriedly pressed to her nose and then, her world turned black.

A female mist ninja cast a double layered henge over herself, and put Hinata's radio around her neck. Nodding to her partner, she disappeared. Her mission had just begun. Bring the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko to her master.

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Sakura ran between the trees, finding her way around much easier since the mist was receding. Focusing on the small trail they had created before they were disbanded she didn't register another presence which was heading toward her until she bumped into it. Or him. Sasuke turned around in surprise when he felt a warm object impact headfirst onto his back, and grinned when he realised that it was his girlfriend. He almost let out a chuckle when he heard her yelp and almost loose her footing. Berating herself for loosing focus like that and crashing headfirst into someone or something which could be the enemy, she whipped out a kunai and got ready to defend herself until she looked at the person standing before her. This time, she really did lose her footing. "Sasuke-kun! I didn't realise that it was you..." She gave him a sheepish smile and scratched her head in such a Naruto-like fashion he couldn't help the smirk that showed on his face. Dobe must be rubbing off on us much more than we realised, he thought amusedly. Silently extending a hand, he pulled her to her feet. Walking around her, he inspected her for any injuries or cuts. She smiled. Her boyfriend was so sweet sometimes, especially when didn't realise it. Mentally, inner-Sakura was ecstatic. _Yeah! Sasuke-kun loves us so much, he just can't help being sweet! _Sakura shook her head. Her inner being was just so lame sometimes...

She jerked back a little when she saw a hand waving in front of her face. "Sakura? Hello! Earth to pinky!" She almost laughed at Sasuke's expression when he stuck his head into her line of vision. "I've been talking to you for that last minute or so, and asked you the same question twice." He deadpanned when he was sure that there was nothing wrong with her. She noticed that there was a slight twitch at the corner of his left eye. Looking up at him with her best puppy dog eyes, she grinned when he grimaced and looked away with a 'fine, you win' look in his eyes. It always worked. "Anyhow, Sakura, I was asking you what you think we should do. I know our radios are working, and our best move right now is to find Hinata-san and the dobe. Agree?" She nodded, and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Sasuke followed suit.

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Sharp jade coloured eyes racked the surroundings for any trace of a battle. Her eyes passed a tree trunk, and then quickly zoned in on it when she detected a smear of blood. Walking closer to investigate, she motioned for Sasuke to come with her. As she got closer, she noted that there were a few stains on the grass on the other side of the trunk, hinting that something had gone on around here. Walking further in the direction of the blood, she peeked into the clearing...

Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth in a startled gasp, alerting Sasuke, who flickered over immediately. His onyx eyes widened in surprise when he saw his best friend lying unconscious in a huge puddle of water which was stained a sick reddish-pink around him. A dark-haired girl bent over him, trying to fix his wounds, and crying. "Hinata-chan!" Sakura called as she ran toward her sobbing friend. Starting up her medical technique, she hovered over her blonde-haired squad captain as she closed his wounds with Hinata. Making a face, she frowned when she noticed how much of the puddle was tinged a dark pink. He had lost a lot of blood. "Sasuke-kun, come here." She commanded, taking control of the situation. "Okay. Now, Hinata-chan, can you move back a little, so Sasuke-kun can lift Naruto up and carry him back home?" She took a long look at Hinata's face, smiling encouragingly when she saw mixed emotions flash across her friend's lavender eyes until she nodded and moved back. Bending down, Sasuke picked his captain up in a gentle manner he was not known for, and meeting the eyes of the two kunoichi, they leapt off, eager to transport the loud yet dearly loved enigma to the safe zone of a hospital room.

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As Sakura and Hinata gave Squad 4 (minus Naruto and Sasuke)'s oral report to Tsunade, she felt a sense of foreboding weighing down on her, and somehow, even if she was sure she was wrong, Hinata seemed different, though she couldn't figure out why. Naruto would give a written report with the help of Sasuke, who was currently keeping watch on said man in case he woke up and decided that even with all those cuts and gashes that he was okay, and tried to escape. It was an unwritten law that someone keeps an eye on the blonde shinobi (usually Squad 4, and Shizune at times) from jumping out from one of the new multi-story, wooden hospital's many windows (courtesy of Yamato) until he got himself checked out and released by the people in charge. Last time the squad had left Naruto alone in the hospital, awake and _feeling_ fine, he had scared a nurse so badly she passed out a few moments after she walked into his room, finding the bed empty and turning around just in time to watch him launch himself out of the window. The badly shocked nurse had repeatedly told the doctors higher up that she was sure her patient was suicidal (until Sasuke somehow charmed her into believing otherwise), and insisted that he be kept under suicide watch or restrained to his bed, in case he tried it again. She obviously didn't realise that he was a ninja...but, needless to say, he got a tongue lashing from the pink-haired medic, a day of silent treatment from Hinata, another thing for Sasuke to tease him about and a nurse who hurriedly walks in the opposite direction whenever she catches sight of him.

After being let out by the Hokage, Sakura headed 'home' (which was a light green tent amongst many other light green tents), ready for a really good nap which hopefully ended at around tomorrow morning. She was exhausted. Before reaching her tent, she stopped by at the hospital, intending to tell Sasuke that he could come with her to their shared tent and rest since Naruto seemed to be down for the count. Intending because she never got to pass on that message. Intending because on the way in, she saw Hinata, who had told her she was going to head straight home, heading the opposite direction of her and Naruto's shared tent. Surprised that the heiress, who in any condition, managed to keep a level head, and definitely didn't lose her sense of direction plainly because she was tired, was wandering around like a lost soul, she turned on her heel and made her way toward the girl. "Hey, Hinata-chan weren't you going to go straight back your shared tent?" she asked. Surprised, Hinata whirled around. "Ah, S-Sakura-san. Um, sh-hared?... oh! Y-y-es, I was going to head b-back to m-o-o-ur t-tent." Sakura frowned. Hinata wasn't one to forget that she shared a tent with her boyfriend. In fact, she always subtly mentioned it whenever they were discussing tents and 'home', because she also shared an apartment with said boy. Not letting her confusion show on her face, she flashed a bright smile and lifted a finger in the direction of their tents. "Hinata-chan, our tents are that way. I was heading there, come with me?" She subtly scrutinised her best friends face, noting how her eyes flickered around the place like she was totally unaware of what was happening. Like she was new here, even though they'd been here since the fighting had started. Uncharacteristically, her fingers did not press themselves together like they did when she was nervous, even though her face showed it clearly. Sakura frowned when her friend turned away. It almost seemed like the real Hinata wasn't here with them, and that the young woman here was someone trying to impersonate her.

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The next day, after scaring the nurses, causing a ruckus in the small hospital, and almost 'committing suicide' by trying to jump out of a window, again, the higher ups in the hospital decided that the hyperactive blonde was all fixed and ready to go. Many of the hospital staff eyed and muttered about the young ANBU captain, wondering how he ever managed to learn and rise up to his position now, but truth to be told, many of them had seen him in battle and heard about his achievements, and they knew that he was deserving of his title and nothing like the happy trouble maker they knew when he was in this particular building. Now, the doctor watched as he stood in the foyer, talking to his squad with a serious yet teasing expression on his face, and marvelled inside. The Kyuubi jinchuuriki, who most people feared and spat on, had been able to win the hearts of even those who hated him with a passion, proving again and again that he was willing to lose his life so that theirs could be saved. There will eventually be a time, the doctor mused as he walked away, that even the hardest of hearts will open up. Only the careful chiselling and probing of the right tool will be able unlock the cage.

As the newly-patched up captain trotted out of the makeshift hospital, he wondered why his girlfriend was being so clingy. Sure, she was very affectionate, but her...clingy-ness seemed rather forced and excessive. Her hugs were too hard for someone with her temperament and too much for someone who used to faint at the sight of him. And she never hugged him this much when they were in public. Even though he was enjoying the rare public display of affection, he was smart enough to know that this wasn't the girl he had fallen in love with. He couldn't help but feel something amiss with her, and also, he noticed, she seemed too chatty. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Sasuke sending Sakura some questioning looks while eyeing the over-happy over-chatty Hyuuga with a confused gaze. Looks like they've noticed something weird too. Speaking aloud, he called to his squad. "Squad four, can you come here for second?" he asked as he walked into the surrounding greenery. They followed. Once he thought he had a good amount of privacy, Naruto walked over to Hinata, and looked her over. He noticed a ring on her finger which wasn't the one he had given her as a promise before the war began. Without warning he grabbed the imposter by her collar and slammed her against a tree. "Who are you?" He snarled. "What have you done with her?" The girl's eyes widened as she realised she had been caught. Her lips widened in a chilling smile. "Very good." She sneered, as she slapped his hand away. "You noticed." Slowly, her hair changed back to its light brown colour and her eyes into a cold uncompromising black. Lips widening, she licked her lips. "You're little girl is with my master." She hissed, her voice filling with cruel amusement as she watched the man before her try to keep from strangling her. "You want to see her?" throwing her head back, she laughed, a hoarse hooting cackle, eyes widening, and opening her mouth so her teeth showed. She leaned closer. "Then go and find her. I will see you when you arrive, Uzumaki Naruto." With a glint in her eye, she disappeared in a flurry of water droplets, leaving the fuming squad to head back to camp.

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End Chapter

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Hello readers!! Sorry for taking soooo long to update!

I just had such a horrible writers block *glares at it* and until I read some extremely inspiring stories, I just couldn't think of anything to write. Anyhow, I made this a really long chapter, longer than usual, so I hope this compensates a bit for the wait.

o.O Hinata's captured...I wonder what'll happen XD

Of course, I know, but you don't....

Anyhow, please leave a review, and if you can think of anything you want to happen in the story, then please tell me either in a personal message or your review and I'll see if I can incorporate it into my plot.

Also, I won't be updating for a while, I have all my yearlies and important exams coming up, so I'll be studying for them, so don't expect regular updates. I will be writing the next chapter when I get the chances, though, so please have patience. I'll update when I can.

Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to leave a review. While I really appreciate Fav's and Alerts and stuff, I also really, really love reviews, they make me all bubbly and happy inside when I see that people have bothered to write a little something for the author. 

^.^

-- Bitter-Sweet Teardrops


	6. Chapter 5

**Dear readers,**

**I'm sorry for making you wait so long, but no, this isn't a chapter. **

**I've...decided to put this story on hold for a little while, because even though I've got the plot line planned out, there are holes and gaps which I'm still working on filling. I won't be ditching the story, it's my longest one yet, but I apologise for making you wait. I'll be coming back, but I won't be updating for a while. **

**I promise I'll make up with one shots. **

**If you would like something to happen, or if you have any ideas, please _please_ feel free to send me a message because all suggestions will be welcomed. **

**I'm really sorry again, but the filling I need to get rid of those gaps are just not coming up. I've tried writing another chapter/s for this, but it always sounds really forced. **

**I just want you to know that I won't be giving up on this story, I promise one day, it'll be done.**

**Yours Truly,**

**Bitter-Sweet Teardrops**


	7. Chapter 6

Alright. HELLO! I'm BACK AND UP AND RUNNING WITH THIE FIC AGAIN! I had inspiration, and I really wanted to continue, so here I am again!

Thank-you to all the people who have reviewed so far, you totally make my day: Froggy Doggy 20, Aasen, oceanmoon, Rose Tiger, Illidian the Half Demon, Perpetual159, SilentSinger948, XxXAishiteruXxX

You guys really gave me motivation to go on, and now after the loooooooong writers block, and homework overload, and bad news from overseas family, I'm back. The rest of my A.N. is down the bottom, so see you down there!

-- DISCLAIMER:

ME: Naruto is mine!

SISTER: NO IT'S NOT!

ME: YES! MINE! ALL MINE!

SASUKE: *unsheathes katana* Tell the truth or I'll kill you. *turns on Sharingan*

ME: *shaking* o-o-okay…..I don't own this… have fun reading….. *flees for dear life*

* * *

Chapter 5

The steady dripping of something leaking and the continuous splashes of moisture on her face invaded her numbed senses and returned her to a relative state of consciousness.

Groaning, Hinata lifted her head off unyielding stone floor and looked around her with blurry, slightly unfocused lavender eyes. As the world became clearer, she spotted the leakage – situated right on top of her, on the ceiling. Now that she noticed it, she realised that it was giving off a disgusting odour too. Wrinkling her nose, she came to the conclusion that she was probably lying under a leaking sewer pipe. Shifting slightly, so that she wouldn't be under direct fire of the leakage, she began to inspect her cell. Grey stone walls, hard stone floor, one tiny window – barred, and a barred door that took up half a wall. She wondered why such a large door was needed, but put it aside. All in all, it was a typical Oto-style cell, with the distinct ring of Orochimaru to it.

She should have known. The beast that she and Naruto had fended off and killed when they were fighting Iwa must have been one of his experiments – most likely a failed one. Orochimaru wasn't one to flaunt a _finished_ experiment during a skirmish like that one; he would want a grand opening for it – namely a blood bath. Muttering under her breath, she moved her wrists as she tested out the rope that secured her in place. To her surprise, they broke easily, and she pushed herself into a sitting position as they slid off her torso and onto the ground. With a few flicks of her fingers, she broke the ropes binding her knees and ankles, and started massaging the areas where they had tied her. Obviously, they didn't start with the ropes that she had just gotten rid of – the red marks on her wrists and ankles were proof of that. They must have changed the ropes after they had arrived in this place – and it mustn't have been too long ago.

Figuring that enough blood was back in circulation, she stood and made a cursory round of her 'new home'. A small whisper of wind blew through the window and she shivered as the fine hairs at the nape of her neck stood up. Funny, she thought, that the back of her neck should get cold; after all, there was always her hair that had blocked the wind…

Lifting a hand to the back of her head, she smoothed down her hair, only to find that it ended much sooner that she had anticipated. Feeling around, she realised that much of her long, dark hair had been chopped off. While it used to reach the lower part of her back, now, it was like the pixie cut she had worn when she was still attending Academy. She growled. He would pay, for taking her hard earned, well-cared-for hair. Sighing, she contented herself to the fact that hair was hair, it would always grow back again as she walked over to the dirty bench they had set in one corner of the room. All she had to do now was find a way to escape from this place without alerting the guards and other people to what she was doing, especially Orochimaru.

"Ku ku ku, it's good to see that you're up, my dear first test."

Speak of the devil.

She spun around and narrowed her eyes. Golden eyes, pale skin, dark, limp hair, no doubt this was Orochimaru. And by the looks of it, he was still into that body swapping jutsu. Unbidden shivers ran down her spine, and she knew he had seen them, even though she had tried her best to suppress them.

His eyes arched slightly as his sardonic smile turned into a gut-twisting leer.

"Are you scared, my dear?" he sneered, "Because you needn't be, it doesn't hurt to be a test subject for an _unfinished_ project, you know." He chuckled a little to himself, as if he had just cracked a sick, twisted joke of some sort, his face betraying nothing but malicious pleasure in watching others suffer. "It'll only hurt for a little bit, dearest first test, then, it won't hurt at all. You will feel nothing. Enjoy the rest of your stay, Hinata-san. Ku, ku, ku." Fighting down the urge to wipe that disgusting leer off his face, she watched as he exited the cell, slamming the door shut behind him. His hoarse laughter echoing in the hallways ass his steps faded into silence.

"First test", he had said to her. She shivered again, rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm them and wondering when the room had gotten so cold. First test for what?

*~*~*

"Let me go."

"No."

"I'm serious. Let. Me. Go."

"…No."

"Argghhh!!! TEME! I'm not joking! Get your hands OFF ME! I need to go and save Hinata-chan! Who knows what that evil bastard you almost ran off with is doing to her at the moment! Seriously, I'm really getting mad, I'm going to kick your bloody a - mph!"

"Shut up, dobe. I didn't "run off" with Orochimaru, and I already said you're not going anywhere. And plus, do you really think Sakura and I don't want to go after the bastard?! Hinata-san is just as important to the squad as any of us, we're just more in control of our actions that you are. And you know Tsunade-sama wants you here to do you Hiraishin jutsu in a few days, so you have to stay behind!"

"That was the most I've heard you say in a while, teme."

"…Tch. Whatever."

"…and back to monosyllables we go."

"…"

"So you're really not going to let me go?"

"…you're not going anywhere. Now shut your trap."

"…Fine. I really hate to do this, but.....I'm left with no choice."

Sasuke had the distinct sinking feeling in his gut that signalled that Naruto was going to do something he definitely wouldn't like, as he watched his best friend grimace a bit, and open his mouth.

"Uchiha Sasuke, this is an order. Relinquish your hold on me this instant, your job as an ANBU, and ninja career is on the line."

Sasuke's grip slacked a little before tightening again, managing to stop Naruto from bolting. He heard his friend curse a little before squirming and pulling against his hold again.

"That was low, dobe. Pulling rank – I didn't know that you were capable of doing it; this has got to be a new low for you. And what makes you think I'll loose my job if I keep hold of you here?"

His friend growled, but when he turned his face to look at Sasuke, there was something decidedly feral in his gaze.

"Fine then. I can't take your ANBU job away, but I can kick you out of this squad. At the moment, there are no other free spaces. You would know that ANBU squads can functions perfectly fine with three people. Tsunade baa-chan can't do anything about that. But, I know that even if I threaten, you're not gonna let me go, so I've got absolutely no choice left."

With that, he leaned in, and before Sasuke could react, he kissed him full on the mouth. Onyx eyes widened as the raven-haired man roughly shoved his friend out of the way, gasping and spitting and rubbing at his mouth.

"DOBE! What the F - !"

When he turned to face the place where the blonde once stood, he didn't see his carefree best friend, he saw the cold, detached ANBU captain. Disappearing from sight for a split second, the blonde materialised right in front of him, and hoisted him up but the collar. He heard a soft, almost undetectable voice whisper of "Sorry, Sasuke." in his ear before he felt a small explosion of pain at the back of his head and the soft thuds of a disappearing ninja before everything went back.

Running at full speed towards Orochimaru's latest known hiding place, the blonde with the fox mask spared a glance back at the place where he left his best friend. "I'm really sorry, Sasuke, but…but just this once, Konoha takes second place." And with that, he leapt through the dens foliage, intent on pursuing his girlfriend and the ninja whom he had vowed to kill one day.

*~*~*

She heard his footsteps before she saw him.

Expecting to see one of his scientists or Kabuto following him, she was surprised that he came alone. It was probably to get something for their experiments, she thought, as some people had been holding needles when they came in. Over the past two days, people had been coming and going from her cell seeming doing nothing, but she had known that they were probably looking for a piece of clothing, or blood to test, but not once had he appeared.

It was surprising how fast one could get used to gauging the footsteps of another, she thought, and calculating the amount of seconds they would take to reach her cell door.

Three.

Two.

One.

The unoiled door swung open with a screech she was fast getting used to, and she glared at the person who entered. "What do you want now?" she spat, not caring that it wasn't in her personality. If Naruto taught her anything, it was to be lethal when you need to. It didn't matter when it was out of personality, or what others thought, you do what you need to survive, and be yourself the rest of the time.

And so, she was putting that to use.

Orochimaru smirked, pale lips curving at the tips. "Feisty today, Hinata-san? Good, I like that in a test subject. It makes it even more wonderful to watch them scream, and then, fall silent."

She glared at him and looked away, purposely ignoring his presence. She could feel the slight annoyance radiating from his aura. She had just shown him the worst sort of disrespect. By just turning her head away, she was saying that he wasn't even worth looking at. And she knew it would annoy him.

His footsteps were deliberate and heavy as he walked toward her, grasping her chin roughly and forcing her to look into his eyes.

"Hinata-san, even though you are a test subject, you will look at me with respect. You are a Hyuuga, your eyes have use. And you have value as a hostage. I will no kill you for now – you're little jinchuuriki boyfriend is already on his way here. No doubt," he scoffed, "To save you. I look forward to hearing his screams of pain."

She yanked her chin out of his hand. "Naruto would not be so careless to come unprepared." She stated, trying to keep her voice strong, but in her head, she really wondered whether he had a battle plan thought out, or he was going to make one up on the spot. "And even if he wasn't," she let her lips twitch up into a small and very un–Hinata-like smile, "And even if he wasn't, he would have no trouble beating the likes of you."

The snake-man laughed. "Ku, ku, ku, you amuse me, little heiress. Very well, I will take you up on that. I will be ready for the brat when he comes." He turned and began walking out. "Enjoy your stay here, Hinata-san. The next time I come will be the time you meet my newest creation."

And with that, the door swung shut with a long, agonising creak.

*~*~*

He had a head ache.

A pretty bad one – one he didn't know how he got. He was pretty sure that he detected some foreign, but familiar chakra too. It was probably Naruto's. He must have been sparring with him.

And there was something extremely annoying waving in front of his nose and something soft was poking his cheek, and the sunlight was killing his eyes…

"Guhhhh…" he groaned as he turned over, and swatted at whatever the annoying thing was. Thank goodness it got the message.

Damn, now it was talking…

It was dumber than he thought.

"Shuddup, and get lost…" he mumbled, burying his head into the pillow, and pulling the covering higher to block out the noise.

And the damn sun.

He jerked suddenly when a slender finger poked the one ticklish spot that only his mother, his brother…and Sakura… He growled lightly, and headache forgotten, he reached out and arm and wrapped it around her waist before dragging her onto the bed with him. He smirked into the pillow when he heard her surprised 'eek' and felt her light slaps across his back.

"Get up, now, Sasuke-kun, I'm not here to play, you know."

"Mmmph. I don't want to."

"Sasuke-kun. I have other patients to tend to as well."

"…you can be my private nurse."

"Sasuke-kun, we're not in our tent, you know. We're in a hospital tent, and you're currently burying your face in a _hospital_ pillow."

Just as she thought, he shot up, and eyed the pillow with distaste.

"Sakura…why am I in a hospital?"

She frowned at him. "That's what I want to know. You were passed out where you, presumably, caught up with Naruto after he ran away to 'rescue' Hinata, and we saw signs of a scuffle, but when we found you, Naruto was missing, and you were dead to the world on the ground."

Memory flooded back to him, and he buried his face in his hands.

"He…the bloody moron…he k-k-" he choked on the word as he felt his cheeks heat up. "The moron _kissed_ me to make me let go of him!"

He felt, and saw his girlfriends' eyes widen, before they narrowed to slits.

"Ohhh, he is going to get it when he gets back…." She growled, cracking her knuckles. "But, getting back to what you said – you let go of him, so he's gone now?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Damn!" She cursed. Looking at him, they knew what they had to do.

"Some one, Sasuke. Get out of that bed. We're going to see shishou."

* * *

ANDDDDDDDD!

Yup. REVIEW! I love them! Please~!!

Naruto: YES! REVIEW SO WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO HINATA-CHAN AND SO I CAN FINALLY KICK OROCHIMARU-BUTT!!

Sasuke: Pipe down...idiot…

Me: *looks at him pointedly*

Sasuke: *cough* uhh….review….so I can repay Naruto for kissing me….

Sakura: *glares at authouress* You…little… *cracks knuckles*

Me: *shiver* ookay that's all for now, R&R people, byee *runs*

Me: Ohh *appears again* sorry again, for putting this on hold, I'm continuing it now, but don't expect really fast updates, I'm on homework overload and I love you guys for reading and I hope you liked this chappy, and that I haven't degraded too much, and bye until next time!!! *disappears again*


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